


the rise

by the_garbage_will_do



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: 5+1 Things, Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Actors, Dialogue-Only, Exes, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, M/M, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, past drug abuse, this is exactly as meta as it sounds
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-26
Updated: 2019-12-26
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:49:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21964501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_garbage_will_do/pseuds/the_garbage_will_do
Summary: Six years ago, Ben Solo cut out his heart to play Kylo Ren in the First Order’sStar Warsfranchise. Now he knows how Kylo's arc ends, and he's out for revenge.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41





	the rise

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a few articles pointing out parallels between Disney and the First Order, and my hand slipped. The _Star Wars_ franchise in this story is similar to the real-world _Star Wars,_ and I reference a few rumors and real-life events. However these characters are absolutely not portrayals of anyone real.
> 
> Five conversations Ben and Hux have while separated, and one they have face-to-face.

“Ben. Did you hit a wrong number?”

“Hux. I didn’t think you’d pick up.”

"Aren't you on your press tour?"

“Yeah, in Tokyo."

"Reigning over a crowd of Kylo Ren cosplayers, I assume."

"Not reigning so much as staring at a vending machine.”

“Vending machines are the same as in the US, aren’t they?”

“Weirder options, don’t know the language. I have no idea how to pick.”

“You’ve never had trouble committing to your choices before.”

“...Where are you? London? Preparing for a Shakespeare revival that’ll rock the worlds of the five audience members who understand it?”

“LA. HBO.”

“Oh. Right. Congratulations.”

“There’s a nude scene, so you’re the one person alive who won’t be newly disappointed in me.”

“I assume there’s a weighty artistic reason for said nudity.”

“It’s the thematic linchpin, yes.” 

“Better than my prostitution.”

“Hm?”

“That’s what you called _Star Wars,_ last time we spoke.”

“I don’t recall.”

“Look, I. The train just got here, I gotta call you back.”

.

“Hux. You picked up again.”

“What were you on last time?”

“Jet lag, exhaustion, and crushing loneliness.”

“A potent cocktail.”

“I didn’t think you’d pick up again.”

“I had forgotten the prostitution crack. Unfortunate, that one.”

“Yeah.”

“I had it exactly backwards, didn’t I? You were being paid to _not_ have sex.”

“Hold on a minute—”

“Or at least to not have sex with _me.”_

“Look, Hux—”

“How is dear Snoke nowadays?”

“...Still thinks gold smoking gowns are the peak of fashion.”

“But he hasn’t broken your heart yet?”

“Would you prefer he had?”

“Not at the moment. My answer would have been yes, six years back.”

“Because you can’t stand being wrong?”

“Because I was enamored of revenge.”

“But as I recall, you swore up and down that _your_ heart wasn’t broken.”

“It’s a little late for this conversation.”

“Six years late, if you’re saying what I think—”

“I mean it’s three a.m. here.”

“...Jesus. That’s the thing with press tours, time stops making sense after the tenth plane trip.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“You should filter your calls. Just let your Favorites through after a certain hour.”

“I do.”

“I won’t bother you again.”

.

“Huuux.”

“Dare I ask?”

“Just alcohol. Just. A lot of alcohol.”

“Can I pick you up?”

“Are we on the same continent?”

“Fair point.”

“I screwed up.”

“You’re Snoke's golden boy. The Order will forgive you anything unless you spoil the ending.”

“Worse.”

“What, you strangled an intern?”

“You were right.”

“In your defense, interns have it coming.”

“You were right about Snoke.”

“Damn.”

“Don’t you dare— dare gloat about it.”

“What’s the damage?”

“You’ll laugh. That’s what you do, isn’t it?”

“Have I ever laughed where Snoke was concerned?”

“I saw the movie today. They screened it for the cast. Last of the trilogy. Last of the ‘saga.’ And I know you won’t believe me, but I never wanted this. How am I supposed to hold an audience when my mom and dad are onscreen, when grandma and _grandfather_ are onscreen? Next to Vader and Queen Amidala and, and the Princess of Alderaan, who the hell would care about Kylo Ren?”

“For the record, I’ve never thought you _incapable_ of the part.”

“But I never wanted it! I wanted incomprehensible Shakespeare revivals and, and pretentious HBO pilots, and— we were good, remember? We were chewing up our scenery off-Broadway and nobody came to our shows and we glowed brighter than all the lights of Broadway put together!”

“...I remember.”

“And I left!”

“I remember it perfectly.”

“Because Snoke got in my head. And he told me to burn down Luke’s theater company—”

“Technically that wasn’t on you. Companies tend to implode when nobody’s buying their tickets—”

“And Snoke said it’d be okay, because look, here’s your future. Here’s Kylo Ren’s arc. Not the same as Vader, not a competition with your _own grandfather,_ the total opposite. He said First Order bought Empire for a reason, not money, but for real artistic purpose, but you said he was lying, and you were _right.”_

“Shockingly, I’m only a little smug right now.” 

“Snoke said he really wanted me. Not because of my family, not because it’d be three generations of Skywalkers on the same screen. And I thought he respected my artistic potential, but no. All he wanted was the _legacy.”_

“...Is it a good movie?”

“The plot looked great in a spreadsheet at some point.”

“How encouraging.”

“Lots of shiny explosions.”

“The First Order’s good at those. One every twenty minutes?”

“Ten at the most.”

“And the branding will take over the world?”

“Resistance is futile. You must’ve seen the marketing tie-ins.”

“My toilet paper has your face on it now.”

“I’m amazed you didn’t lead with that.”

“Amazing how six years can soften a person.”

“...Thanks, Hux.”

.

“Is this another bout of self-pity? May I suggest drying your nose on the three million dollars the Order paid you this year, if _Variety_ is to be believed?”

“I’m done grieving.”

“Now I’m worried.”

“Snoke used me. The Order used me just for the power of my name. It’s time to turn the tables.”

“You want bloody vengeance?”

“That’s why I called you.”

“Off the top of my head, your best bet is leaking the script on Reddit.”

“I was thinking something a little more personal. Against Snoke.”

“Murder is tragically outside my expertise, but I do learn new skills quickly.”

“You’re adorable when you’re excited.”

“You could double down on ‘method acting,’ maybe trash an interview in full Kylo Ren-style and call it part of your self-driven Oscar campaign—”

“I was thinking we could ambush Snoke at the world premiere.”

“What do you mean?”

“You and me. At the premiere.”

“...And give Snoke an instant stroke. I see your angle.”

“You don’t have to. Hux, I didn’t fight for you then, I let them have their neat, straight little narrative. And I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted nothing to do with this, because this was never your war and you don’t have the slightest obligation to fight in it.”

“What time should I be there?”

.

“Hux. Armitage. I can’t believe _I’m_ saying this to _you,_ but get out of the closet.”

“You died.”

“Yeah, I noticed. My hair’s a mess in all the reshoots and I should’ve complained but I thought it was just one of those fake scenes to confuse the leakers—”

“You _died._ You dropped from exhaustion and _died.”_

“Don’t you keep tissues on you anymore?”

“Tissues don’t help with grief when they have _your face on them.”_

“Would it help if I pointed out that that was a fictional character Kylo who died, and that I am in fact Ben Solo and standing right here? Waiting for you to get out of the closet because there’s a giant premiere still happening down the hallway?”

“Do you remember the night you overdosed?”

“I think that question answers itself.”

“I was holding you just like that. And then I kissed you like some angel of death, and you immediately keeled over.”

“You were literally heart-stopping, what can I say?”

“Ben!”

“You saved me, though. We could have muddled our way to a happy ending, if we wanted.”

“Is this really the Order's happy ending? The young hero goes down from abuse and exhaustion? Do they _know_ how that reads?”

“There’s a spin-off animated series that Empire’s trying to pitch to resurrect him.”

“Who _cares_ about the cartoons, this was the final movie in the main _Star Wars_ saga—”

“Why do you care, you don’t even _like_ _Star Wars!”_

“I watched them. Over the past six years.”

“Oh. You still think it’s artistic prostitution?”

“I think it’s a classy burlesque act.”

“Progress.”

“I liked the part where you forgot your shirt, last episode.”

“When we filmed that I thought of you.”

“And I liked the allusions to Classical myth, and the Jungian archetypes, and the increasingly prominent yin-yang symbolism with all the attendant philosophical implications.”

“And of course you turned _Star Wars_ into a PhD thesis.”

“Which is how I know— oh hell, my eyeliner’s ruined— how I know that Kylo Ren was never supposed to die.”

“...Yeah.”

“That’s Snoke’s doing, I assume?”

“I served my purpose. He got what he wanted, and then he crushed me.”

“He did no such thing.”

“Did we watch the same movie?”

“The Order crushed Kylo Ren. You, though. I saw you, and you glowed brighter than the whole Manhattan skyline right to the end.”

“Now I’m crying again too.”

“Did alcohol help you, after your first screening?”

“Nope. I thought it might, but turns out only you could fix that one.”

“Your judgment has been known to fail from time to time.”

“Yeah.”

“After all, you probably still think I’m here only for spoilers and to spite the Order.”

“...Come out here. I have something that’ll make you feel better.”

“Vodka?”

“Better.”

“Making out in front of Snoke?”

“Better.”

.

“...So they let you take home Kylo’s costume. I still think making out in front of Snoke was more likely to cause that stroke.”

“Ah, but this is a delayed attack.”

“What, will you take a selfie for the fans? Resist canon and confirm Kylo’s really alive, lounging around Bel Air?” 

“No fans. I put this on just for you.” 

“I don’t understand.”

“Apparently you like classy burlesque acts.”

“...Is that a lightsaber, or are you just happy to see me?”

“Both.”

“I love you.”

“I know.”

  
  



End file.
